|
Part 1
Introduction
 Welcome
Veneering Basics
14 Good Reasons
Vacuum Press Uses
Vacuum Press Options
Questions & Answers
___________________
Part 2
DIY Vacuum Press Plans
Vacuum Press Chart
Project: EVS™
Project: EVS-2™
Project: V4™
Project: CRS™
Excel 1™
Excel 3™
Excel 5™
___________________
Part 3
Vacuum Bagging
Vacuum Bag Basics
Polyurethane vs. Vinyl
DIY Vacuum Bags
Connect the Bag
Bag Closures
Bag Platens
Breather Mesh 
Maintenance
DIY Frame Press
___________________
Part 4
Veneering Information
About Veneer
Veneering Glossary
Veneering Myths
Balancing a Panel
Veneer Glues
Veneering Tips
Substrate Materials
Flattening Veneers
A Sharp Veneer Saw
Jointing Veneers
Taping Veneers
Dealing with Defects
Curing Glued Panels
Veneering w/o Vacuum
Hammer Veneering
Iron-On Veneering
Veneer Storage
Amazing Bookmatches
Edgebanding Guide
Paper-Backed Veneer
Guide
___________________
Part 5
Miscellaneous Info
Vacuum Press FAQ
Veneering FAQ
Veneer Glue FAQ
Vacuum Forming
Vacuum Clamping Pedal
Vacuum Clamping Jigs
Vacuum Clamp Matrix
DIY Vacuum Manifold
Vacuum Press Gallery 1
Vacuum Press Gallery 2
|
|
|
Here is the second gallery of vacuum presses systems that have been created by visitors to the JoeWoodworker website. I hope these images help you customize your own system. If you have built a vacuum press based on the article found on this website, feel free to send some pictures and information and I'll post them here. |
|
Chuck Tade of Gold Canyon, Arizona build this V2 vacuum press. This system uses 4 reservoirs made of 2" PVC. Check out the excellent carrier he built to hold and organize the kit. |
|
|
Evan Lurton of Issaquah, Washington built this EVS system using fire extinguishers. Evan says "I found that fire extinguisher service places can't give them away fast enough." |
|
|
Check out this vacuum pressing system. It was created by Jim Hegland of Islamorada, Florida. Jim uses this system for vacuum bagging fiberglass, vacuum resin transfer, and vacuum thermoforming. |
|
|
Mark Salusbury from Cavan, Ontario built his Project EVS vacuum system. The base and divider is melamine coated particle board and the trim and ballast brackets are made of maple. |
|
|
Here's an interesting version of the Project V2 vacuum press. This one was built by Max Chtangeev of Mansfield, Massachusetts. Max opted to use pre-cut 24" lengths of PVC found at Home Depot. |
|
|
To minimize the footprint of the unit, Frank Suzda from Wilmette, Illinois built this "dolly" vacuum press based on the Project EVS instructions. This is a great example of customization of the project plans! |
|
|
Inspired by Barry Coon's vacuum press, Josh Dearing of Battle Ground, Washington built this V2 system. This is another fine example of a great weekend project. Nice job Josh! |
|
|
Here is an elegant vacuum press design from Barry Coon of Spokane, WA. I've never seen a better version of the Project V2: Premium. It's truly a masterpiece. |
|
|
New Yorker Anthony Anadio created this artistic rendition of the Project: V2 vacuum press. "The two tanks are 4" diameter, 48" tall, and when I looked at them together, the twin column Greco-Roman style seemed the most appropriate." |
|
|
Here's another outstanding vacuum press. This one is from Chris Phelps. He opted to use a propane tank for the main reservoir. This system is uses a rebuilt Thomas vacuum pump. |
|
|
Justin Tugaoen from Westerville, Ohio sent in these pictures of his EVS system. On this system you can see where he added the "continuous-run" mod. This is another great example of vacuum press building! |
|
|
From woodworker Jay Lambert of Chelsea, Quebec comes this excellent rendition of the Project: EVS vacuum press kit. Note the convenient storage bin for the polyurethane vacuum bag. |
|
|
Karl Henderson from Highland Village, Texas assembled this V2-Plus system. "I started construction when I returned home from work and I had the system tested and working before the 10pm news." |
|
|
Here is a great example of the Project: EVS kit. This one was built by Jim McFarland of Claremore, Oklahoma. It's another fine example of what you can build in a weekend. |
|
|
Bruce Wood of Placerville, California built this Project: EVS kit with a rebuilt Thomas vacuum pump. The carrier and reservoirs were colored with a "hammerite" paint. He also extended the carrrier beyond the brass manifold. Sweet! |
|
|
Congratulations to Christopher Penrod of Warren, Michigan on this variation of the Project: EVS vacuum press. It's a beauty! More pictures of his system are
here and here. |
|
|
Steve Pargeter of Ridgefield, WA built this Project: EVS style vacuum press using a Robinair CoolTech vacuum pump to power the system. For more information, click here.
|
|
|
Dino Drosas from Myrtle Beach, SC built this Project: V2 Premium vacuum press. He opted to use 4" PVC for the reservoirs and HDPE for the carrier. Nice job!
|
|
|
Using a refrigerant service compressor by Robinair, Mike Shelley of Wilson, NC built this outstanding Project: EVS vacuum press. |
|
|
Here is nice looking vacuum press built by Gary G. Campbell of Plantation Key, Florida. Gary used solid PVC for the carrier and mounted the vacuum pump on 8020 extrusion.
|
|
|
Jesper Frickman completed this Project EVS vacuum press kit for his shop in of Raleigh, NC. He used a "gutter guard" over the ends of the pump to protect the fan and mounted a double light switch for optional continuous duty. |
|
|
Bellingham, Washington woodworker, James Haddock Sr. built this press with shop scraps. He designed it to be easy to roll around and with a vertical orientation to take up as little space as possible. |
|
|
Jim Ludi of Denver, Colorado incorporated a "continuous run" bypass switch into his Project: EVS kit with rebuilt Thomas vacuum pump. Like many others, this system is a sight to behold. |
|
|
J.R. (Bob) Brokaw of Lilburn, Georgia took the EVS vacuum press a bit further by cleaning up the wiring and hose storage. Amazingly, he built the system while recovering from total knee replacement! |
|
|
Using a 3 gallon compressor tank, Bob Thompson of Corpus Chrisi, Texas built this excellent Project: EVS (slightly modified) vacuum press. Note the clean and compact nature of the system. This system is very well done. Congrats Bob! |
|
|
Check out this superb Project: EVS system built by Fred Davies of Kenora, Ontario. According to Fred, the pump is called a Rollator and weighs a ton. |
|
|
Carl Godfrey built the Project: EVS vacuum press kit for his commerical shop in Pembroke Ontario. He uses the press to build 4' x 10' veneered panels for kitchens and furniture that he designs.
|
|
|
Cary Swoveland of Vancouver, British Columbia built this impressive version of the Project: V2 vacuum system. Note the dual lock-on connector idea which allows easy removal of the vacuum tube. |
|
|
Mike Henderson of H & H Woodworks (Tustin CA) created this Project: EVS vacuum press with the rebuilt Thomas vacuum pump. Congrats! It's a beauty. |
|
|
Here's a well-built venturi vacuum press by Jack Merrick of Plano, Texas. Notice the strategically placed hose and electrical cord storage. What a great idea! |
|
|
Paule Joubran of String Masters Custom Shop in Poway, California built this outstanding dual system with a custom frame press designed for guitar bodies. Additional information is available here. |
|
|
Newton, NC woodworker Robbie Jones created this vacuum press using a new 3 CFM Thomas pump and the Project: EVS Kit. Well done! |
|
|
Page Pokler of Fairview, NJ built this vacuuming pressing system. Click on the pictures for details. This is a well built machine. |
|
|
Carl Biesma completed this vacuum system for his shop in Ontario, Canada. He built it to use for vacuum hold-down on his CNC machine. Sweet!!! |
|
|
A vacuum press in a computer case?
From the builder, Marlin Wegner, "It's mounted in an old computer case. The cover for the case is still part of the press, but I have removed it for the pictures. The tank is an old fire extinguisher that I had welded shut and then tapped for hoses. The case also has handles for lifting and wheels for easy moving. It works very well for veneering guitar tops." |
|
Here is the second vacuum press of Marlin Wegner - The "Wood-E-Maker" |
|
|
|
|
This double reservoir vacuum press is a superb demonstration of how the vacuum press article can be adpated for use with a compressor pump from an old refridgerator or dehumidifier. |
|
|
|
Farrell Boris of Old Westbury, New York made this vacuum press with a couple of slight modifications to the bag closure and pump mounting. |
|
|
|
This is the press of Jim Harmon of Mountain View, California. This is a nice combination of the Project V2 manifold design with the electric pump based plans. The lower right picture is the template that Jim used to create this masterpiece.
|
|
|
Jim Beyer from Webster, New York built this Project: V2 Premium system for use at his countertop and cabinet company. |
|
|
Jeffrey Johnson's (Newtown, Connecticut) clean design vacuum press shows how nice the vacuum press can be built with some extra thought. I never did figure out the reason for the second gauge. |
|
|
Way cool! This unit was built by Kaya Corabatir of Thornhill, Ontario with 4" schedule 40 aluminum reservoirs. |
|
|
Here's the handy-work of Daniel Holmes from Bradenton, Florida. This is another great example of the pump drive vacuum press with the rebuilt Thomas pump. |
|
|
Yet another fine veneer press. This one was built by William Hickey from Naperville, Illinois using a single large main reservoir mounted vertically. |
|
|
Ron Brese from Thomaston, Georgia created this wall mounted vacuum press. Now that's a great idea. |
|
|
Chris Moore of Houston, Texas setup this sweet vacuum system using a compressed air tank. Chris says he can pull down a 4 x 8 bag in about a minute. Outstanding! |
|
|
Here's the monster press by Bill Arnold of Thomasville, GA. Bill used a Robinaire vacuum pump to drive this excellent system.
|
|
|
Take a peek at this vacuum press doing curved work. Steve Rozmiarek of Hemingford, Nebraska built this bad-boy press. Steve used dowels on the end of his workbench to hold the lower part of the bag closure in place. Great idea!
|
|
|
Check out this vacuum press in action! This unit was built by Dale Krech of Walnut Creek, California on a rolling cart with extra storage on the bottom for the vacuum clamping option.
|
|
|
Bruce Meatte of Meridian, Idaho used his metal-working skills to created this Project V2 beauty. Note the excellent metallic paint on the reservoirs. A very nice touch!
|
|
|
Bill Davis of Highlands Ranch, Colorado built this excellent rendition of the Project: V2 vacuum press. Bill also made some suggestions which will be incorporated in the the next revision of the article!
|
|
|
Here's a unique vacuum press from Wayne Peterson of Purcellville, Virginia. Wayne had extra PVC fittings available and was short on shop space so he opted for a "vertical" design. Sweet!
|
|
|
Charles Hennemeyer of Topanga, CA build this system with an 11 gallon portable
compressed air tank as the reservoir.
|
|
|
Steve Spurgin from Greenwood, Indiana used a $15.00 air tank from Menards and tee'd in an extra vacuum line and a foot pedal-operated vacuum clamping jig.
|
|
|
Here's another great vacuum press system. This one was built by Paul Proffitt. This system also incorporates the vacuum clamping attachment. |
|
|
Here's another fine vacuum press. This one was built by Sheri Peterson from Yorba Linda, CA. Schedule 40 PVC is hard to find in California so Sheri opted for black ABS for the reservoirs. Nice job Sheri! |
|
|
The builder of this unit opted to weld a box to the side of a spare compressed air tank for use as a reservoir. I have also seen a reservoirs made from old propane tanks! |
|
|
Here is the vacuum press of Shawn Duarte in New Hampshire. Check out the picture on the right. It's one of his first veneer pressings. Sweet! |
|
|
This venturi based vacuum press shows how simple (yet functional) a vacuum press can be. This unit was built by John Buesseler of North Plains, Oregon. |
|
|
This press was built by a woodworker in Danville, CA. who opted to use a salvaged air compressor tank for the reservoir. |
|
|
This vacuum veneer press was built by
Jon Dake of in Phoenix, AZ.
Jon opted to use a Mac valve to relieve the pressure from the vacuum pump when it turns off during a vacuum charging cycle. Check out the maple and makore TV trays he made with the system! |
|
|
Carl Davis of Savannah, GA built this updated version of the vacuum press using a double reservoir system and swiveling casters. |
|
|
Dan Krecik from Merrillville, Indiana built this vacuum veneer system.
Check out his first veneering project. Great job Dan! Chess board is made of Anigre, Ash and Walnut with an oil finish & wax. |
|
|
|
Fred Apuzzo of Buena Park, California built this vacuum press with black ABS plastic.
(I recommend schedule 40 PVC instead) |
|
|
|
Here is the work of Howard Wilmot from Ladson South, Carolina. Another excellent system using a Thomas vacuum pump and a double resevoir. |
|
|
|
Bryan Slocomb of Goldsby, Oklahoma built this double reservoir press.
Check out the carrier... it is sweet!
An excellent job! |
|
|
|
Tony Landry's double reservoir (with sub-reservoir) vacuum press is on wheels! His system uses a Thomas vacuum pump and the Mac valve to release the back pressure from the system during the "off " part of the cycle. |
|
|
|
Gordon VanHoutan of St. Paul, MN build this press based on the latest version of the vacuum press article. Excellent job!!! |
|
|
|
This is the work of Rod Townsend. It is a great example of another compact design vacuum veneer press. |
|
|
|
From Andy Conneen... The inside panel is removable, and the resevoirs are beneath it. I have a heavy duty a/c service vacuum pump and I connect it to the check valve and plug it into the the outlet which is switched on/off by the controller. Work's like a charm. |
|
|
|
Steve Talbert of Hemet, California built this workhorse vacuum press. Note the superb layout of the reservoir tanks and the clean wiring path. Awesome!
(Other Pictures... here and here) |
|
|
|
Here's a vacuum press built by Bill Current of Indianapolis, Indiana. Note the use of the new vacuum filter attached after the Mac valve. Great job Bill! You should be proud! |
|
|
|
From Dennis J. Murray of Christiansburg, VA... The only real change I made was to drill through the side of the PVC caps instead of the end. I kept debris out of the reservoir by fastening only one cap to the pipe, drilling all holes needed, cleaning out the debris, and then fastening the other cap.
|
|
|
|
Check out this vacuum press from Al Kalian of Roseville, California. If you look closely, you'll see a different kind of vacuum bag connector. I don't recommend this type of ball-foot valve connector but if you find one cheap, its worth a shot. |
|
|
|
Dan Kornfeld of West Roxbury, Massachusetts cut the cradle holes for the main tanks slightly oversized, and then stapled thin strips cut from a foam mouse pad. The fan blades are covered with large wire grills normally used to cover oversized computer cooling fans.
|
|
|
|
Peter Desmet of PDS Guitars now uses the system for holding his work pieces as well as veneering them. It's another great vacuum press being put to good use! |
|
 Larry Flowers of Topeka, Kansas built this incredible compact vacuum press. Wow! Great job.
Design notes from Larry...
I have a very small shop and needed a small, compact design. The electrical cord is detachable, but the vacuum hose will be plugged on to the currently plugged barbed fitting and then coil up out of the way around the handle for storage.
|
<-- Vacuum Press Gallery Page 1
|
